Automatic weighing-machine.



No. 782,338. PATBNTED PEB. 14, 1905.

G. J. HICKS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION rum) un 12. 1902.

4 slums-amm 1.

`No. 782,338. C PATENTED FEB. 14,1905. G. J. HICKS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1902.

44. sHBnTs-sI1I:I.T ,2.

gw i @MM @AQ-BA- PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.

G. J. HICKS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILET) MAY l2. 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

i Patented February 14, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE J. HICKS, OF ARDSLEY, NEr YURK.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING--IVIACl-llNEu SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,338, dated February 14, 1905.

Application filed May l2,

[o fl/Z, whom, it 71u14/ concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. I-Iroiis, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Ardsley, l/Vestchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Weighing-lVIachines, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionA relates to automatic weighing-machines, and especially to an automatic weighing-machine for weighing plastic substances-such, for example, as dough-into batches containing a `determined uniform amount.

One of the most important features of my improved weighing-machine is the organization of suitable load-supplying or plasticfecding means, with a load-receiver, in such a manner as to reduce the factors of impact and momentum to a minimum, and thus obtain a more accurate result than in machines in which allowance has to be made for these factors.

Another important feature of my improved machine is the provision of a load-receiver freely movable during the loading operation to transfer its .load from the delivery end of the supply devices to a point at a distance therefrom, the preferred construction being one in which a wheel having a wide periphery is freely rotatable adjacent to the delivery end of the load-supplying means and is turned by the weight of the load or batch of dough delivered thereto, this weight serving to overbalance and rotate the wheel and the wheel by its rotation operating to transfer the load or batch to a suitable discharging-point.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for opening a suitable cut-off device from a source of power independent of the movement of the scale-beam of the machine, the devices employed for this purpose being so organized as to enable the supply devices to feed material to the load-receiver without waiting for the scale-beam to return to its normal position.

All of these devices hereinbefore described may be assembled in an automatic weighingmachine especially adapted for weighing plastic substances, especially dough, and provided with means for applying to the receiving- 1902. Serial No. 106,862.

l surface of the load-receiver a layer of material, such as flour, for preventing adhesion of the plastic or dough to such surface, it being obvious that unless some means were eml ployed for applying such a layer the plastic i itself would adhere to the load-receiver and destroy the usefulness thereof as an automatic weighing-machine.

Figure l is a vertical section of an automatic weighing-machine embodying my invention, taken on line I l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section, taken in line I 4, Fig. Q, illustrating in detail a pair of feed-screws and the feed-chamber in which they turn. Figs. and 6 are enlarged details illustrating the open and closed positi ins of the cut-off device and its controlling parts. Figs 7 and 8 are enlarged sectional details illustrating the power devices for resetting the parts to open the cut-off device. Fig. 9 is a detail illustrating' the pawl and ratchet-wheel for operating the Hour-feeder.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

rlhe several operative parts of my improved weighingmachine may be mounted on a frame, such as 2, of any suitable construction. At its upper end this framework may support suitable load-supplying means, which in this case should embody not only a hopper, such as 3, having a suitable diseharge-opening, but also force-feeding means forpositively feeding the material to a load-receiver, such forcefeeding means being necessary owing to the nature of the substance which my improved machine is especially designed to weigh. I prefer to employ a pair of force-feeders, which may be feed-screws, such as a, disposed side by side parallel with each other in a pair of parallel openings 5 (see Figs. l and et) in a feed-chamber immediately below and communicating with the supply-hopper 3, this feed-chamber being here shown as horizontal and consisting of a pair of members 6 and G, forming a divided easing, the parts of which are clamped together by wing-nuts 7, carried by pivoted screws H At the forward end a thereof this feed-chamber communicates with IOO a smaller tapered chamber 8, having' a delivery-opening' 8 therein common to and communicating' with both Yfeed-openings 5. rear ends the feed-screws 4 have shanks or shaft portions 4 mounted in suitable bearings at the rear end of the main feed-chamber, these shafts being' operatively connected through the medium of a pair of gears 10,secured thereto, as shown. One of these shafts L1 is somewhat longer than the other and has at its rear end a sprocketwheel 12 and a bevel-g'ear 12%, the Aformer of which is intended to operate the devices for imparting an opening' movement to a cut-off device coiltrolling' the opening H, while the latter is operated Vfrom a suitable source of power-such, forexainple, as a shaft 15, mounted in along bearingl 1e, carried by a bracket projecting from the main frame 2, this shaft having' at one end a beveled pinion 17, in mesh with the bevel-gear 1?), and having at its other end a driving' wheel or pulley 18, which maybe rotatable continuously by a belt and is clutched to and unclutched 'from said shaft 15, substantially in the usual manner, by a shipping-lever 20.

A suitable scale-beam carrying' a load-receiver will of course cooperate with the loadsupplying means, and a cut-ofi device of proper construction should be employed to regulate the flow of material Vfrom such load-receiver. In the present construction the scale-beam is pivoted on a fixed rod 21, supported by brackets 22 at the forward side of the machine, and this scale-beam, which is designated by 223 and has an adjustable weig'ht 24 at its Vforward end, is bifurcated at its rear end, in which is pivotally mounted a rotary load receiver or wheel, such as the periphery of which is of sufficient width to receive plastic materials and permit the same to spread sidewise before cut-off takes place. lt is important to mount this load-receiver in such a manner that when in its normal position (shown in Fig. 1) its peripheral load-receiving surface will be immediately adjacent to and preferably lie directly under and in advance of the deliveryopening' 8' in order that the plastic substance as it is fed through such opening' may be projected directly onto the surface of the loadreceiver, by which it is immediately supported, and hence the Vfactors of impact and momentmn, which ordinarily vitiate the operation o'll an automatic weig'liing-machine, are reduced to a minimum and the weight ist balanced wholly by the weight of the batch supported on the periphery of the wheel 25. the material (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1) is vforced onto the load-receiver the latter is turned both by the pressure exerted thereon substantially tang'emzially by the travel of the mass and also by the mere weight of the mass located beyond the vertical diameter of the load-receiver, the result being' that when the supply is cut olf and the batch severed at the opening' 8 the weig'ht of the batch At their i will rotate the receiver Q5 quickly, and the mass will be as quickly discharged from the load-receiver onto a suitable surface below the same, (not shown,) it being understood that the portion of the periphery of the wheel 25 in contact with the mass should be covered with a layer of suitable n'iaterial, such as liour, before the doug'h or other plastic comes in contact therewith.

iVhen the proper weight has been made by the 10ml-receiver, it will descend and should operate to cut off the supply at the opening' S `In the construction shown theinner forked end of the scale-beam 22) serves to operate a lever which trips a holding' device, such as a toggle, by means of which the cut-off device is held in its open position, and a spring' normally held at tension may then quickly shift the cut-off device to its closed position and sever the plastic at the opening' 8' with a knifelike action. I'lere the scale-beam carries an adjustable depemling' linger, such as 30, in the form of a bolt, the lower end of which engages thc long' arm of a lever 31, pivoted on a rod 32, carried by one of the ln-acket-arms 22, the short rear end of said lever being' immediately under a releasing' device or rod 33, mounted to slide in a vertical sleeve 31, fastened toa suitable support, such as the guide 35, on which the cut-ofi' device or plate is intended to slide. 'lhis cut-eti'l device is preferably a reciprocatory plate or knife 3G, having' a tl-shaped opening' the edges of which are beveled to 'form kniii'e-edg'es, and at its outer side edges said plate is dovetailedinto a correspendingl slidcway in the guide 35. 'llhis cut-oli. device 36 is pivoted in this case to the upper end of along' lever El?, pivoted on a stud 38 at the forward side of the main frame, and at its upper end said lever has a holding' device in the forni of a toggle l1l), which when straightened, as shown in Fig'. 5, holds the cnt-olf device in its open position, but which when struck pern'iits the lever 37 to be operated to close the opening' by a .313, a strong' spring', such as 4-1, being' preferably employed to impart this closing' movement to the cut-ofil device. Aln this construction the striking' of the tog'g'le is aci complished by forcing' the upper end of the l rod 33 against a suitable face of one of the i l toggle members, a separate rod or plate, such as 1.0', being'secured to one of the tog'g'le members 'for this purpose.

As soon as the lever 3T is drawn in by the Y spring 11 to the position shown by Fig'. 6 the means for opening' the cut-off device may be i brought into action. These devices are preferably operated by power indepemlent of that j which results Vfrom the return of the scalebeam to its normal position, the power employial being' preferably derived from the y main som'ce, before lescribeth and transmitted l by thesprocket-wheel 12 through :'tsprocketquick knife-like cut-oliI movemci'it of the plate IOO chain 45 to another sprocket-wheel 4G, carried by a rotary actuator or shaft 47, extending from the rear to the front of the machine and journaled in suitable bearings therein, this shaft preferably having at its forward end a cam-wheel 48 with a series of cams 48 in the form of grooved tappets rising therefrom. Between this cam-wheel and the lever 37 is interposed an intermediate device adapted to be broughtintermittently into the path of rotation of the wheel 48 to enable said cam to reset the lever and its toggle in the position shown in Fig. 5 and of course simultaneously impart an opening' movement to the cut-off device 36 to uncover the opening 8 again and permit thefeeding of anew batch of the dough or other plastic to the load-receiver 35. Any suitable devices may be employed for the purpose of opening the cut-off device by power from a continuously-rotatable actuator in' stead of from the scale-beam; but in this construction the main elements of the device employed for this purpose are mounted directly on the lever 37. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8, a bevel-edged roller 50 is carried on one end of astud 51, mounted to reciprocate in a transverse bore in an enlarged portion 37 of said lever, said stud 51 having' an arm 52, which serves the double function of supportingan antifriction-roller 53 and of preventing rotation of the stud itself, the enlargement 37 having a slot 37 cut therein, in which the arm or spline 52 works. A strong' fiat spring', such as 54, presses against the forward end of the stud 51, normally tending to force the beveled roller 50 into the path of rotation of the cam-wheel 48. A cam-face, such as 55, may be so located with respect to the antifrictionroller 53 as to deflect said roller, and with it the stud 51 andthe beveled roller 50, out of the path of the cam-wheel and in opposition to the pressure exerted by the spring 54. When the roller 53 is at the bottom of this cam-face -that is, at the forward edge thereof, as seen at Figs. 1 and 8---the toggle 40 will be straight and will hold the roller 50 in the position shown in Fig'. 8 regardless of the pressure of the spring 54. Immediately on the striking of said toggle, however, the lever 37 will be oscillated to the rear and the roller 50 will be shifted toward the axis of the shaft 47, (see Fig. 7,) and at the same time the spring 54 will force the spindle 51 and the roller 50 to the right, as seen in said figure. At the end of the movements of the lever 37 and the spindle 51 the roller 50 is in the path of the cams 48', and almost immediately one of said cams will strike the roller and force the same outward, and with it the lever 37, thus resetting' the latter, straightening` the toggle 40, and reopening the cut-off device. Owing to the fact that the cams 48 are grooved and each holds the roller against endwise movement during the resetting of the lever 37 the cam-face 55 .is preferably yielding, it forming' in this case l part of a swinging arm 60, pivoted to one of the bracket-arms 22 and having' a strong' sprlng 61 for returning it and the roller 50 to the left, as seen in Figs. 1 and 8, when the roller 53 leaves the cam-groove.

It will be understood that the power mechanism is continuously operable, and hence when the machine is in action the feed-screws 4 and the cam-wheel 48 will rotate continuously, thus assuringI a constant supply of plastic material to the delivery-opening 8 and also the prompt reopening of the cut-ofiI device without the aid of the power exerted by the scale-beam.

Suitable means will of course cooperate with the devices hereinbefore described for the purpose of applying' a layer of material to the load-receiving surface to prevent sticking of the plastic thereto, this material being flour when dough is the substance to be weighed by the machine. At the top of the feed-chamber and in front of the hopper I have therefore shown a flour receptacle or bin 65, suitably covered, as indicated at 66, this receptacle being' supported in this case by bracketarms 67 and 68. The bottom of said receptacle is perforated throughout its width, and immediately above the bottom thereof arotary feeder or brush 70 is mounted within the bin, the shaft of this brush projecting' beyond the walls of the bin and having' a ratchetwheel 71 secured thereto, while a pawl 72, engaging' the teeth of said ratchet-wheel and carried at the upper end of an operating-rod 73, may be raised at each return of the scalebeam 23 to rotate said brush 70 and feed through the perforations in the bottom of the bin 65 a shower of flour to a new surface of the wheel 25 to prevent adhesion of the next batch of plastic thereto. The rod 73 passes through a suitable vertical guide 74 and has at its lower end a coiled springl 75 interposed between the lower end of said g'uide and a lixed stop 76 on the rod 73, this spring' serving to impart the return or downward stroke to the pawl 72.

that I claim is 1. In an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with a supply-hopper and with a feed-chamber below said hopper and having a pair of parallel feed-openings therein, of a pair of parallel feed-screws working in said openings, a delivery-spout common to said feed-openings and feed-screws, a scale-beam, a load-receiver carried by said scale-beam, and a cut-off device controlled by said scale-beam.

2. In au automatic weighing-machine, the combination with load-supplying' means, of a scale-beam, a load-receiver carried by said scale-.beam and having its load-receiving face adjacent to the delivery end of the load-supplying' mea-ns, a cut-ofi'I device controlled by said scale-beam, and means for supplying a layer of material to said load-receiving' face to prevent adhesion of the load thereto.

IOO

3. In an automatic Weighing-machine, the combination with plastic-supplyingI means, of a scale-beam, a load-receiver carried by said scale-beam and having its load-receiving face adjacent to the delivery end of the supplying means, a cut-off device controlled by said scale-beam, and means for applying a layer of material to said load-receiving face to prevent adhesion of the load thereto.

4. ln an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with dough-feeding means, of a scale-beam, a dough-receiver carried by said scale-beam and having its dough-receiving face adjacent to the delivery end of the doughi'eeding means, a cut-eti' device controlled by said scale-beam, and means for applying a layer of itiour to said dough-receiving face to prevent adhesion of dough thereto.

5. In an automatic Weighing-machine, the combination with dough-feeding means, ot' a scale-beam, a dough-receiver carried by said scale-beam and having its dough-receiving face adjacent to the delivery end of the doughfeedingmeans, a cut-off device controlled by said scale-beam, a flour-receptacle, and an intermittently-rotatable flour-feeder for applying a layer of flour to said dough-receiving "face to prevent adhesion ot' dough thereto.

6. In an automatic Weighing-machine, the combination with dough-feeding means, of a scale-beam, a dough-receiver carried by said scale-beam and having its dough-receiving face adjacent to the delivery end oi' the doughfeeding means, a cut-off device controlled by said scale-beam, a flour-receptacle, and a Hourfeeder operated by said scale-beam for Vfeeding a layer of flour to said dough-receiving face to prevent adhesion of dough thereto.

7. ln an automatic weighing-machine, the combination with load-supplyingI means, of a scale-beam, a load-receiver carried by said scale-beam, a cut-ofi' device, a toggle for holding said cut-etiA device in its open position, means for closing said cut-oli' device, and a sliding rod controlled by the descent of the scale-beam for striking said toggle.

8. 1n an automatic Weighing-machine, the combination with load-supplying means, of a scale-beam, a load-receiver carried by said scale-beam, a cut-ofi' device controlled by said scale-beam, and means for supplying a layer of material to the load-receivingl face of said receiver to prevent adhesion ol the load thereto.

9. ln an automatic weighing-machine, the

combination with load-supplying means, ol a cut-ofi' device, a scale-beam, an actuator for controlling the opening' and closing movements of said cut-oiil device, an intermediate device for effecting' the opening movement ot said actuator, means controlled by said scalebeam for effecting said closing movement, means independent of the scale-beam for actuating said intermediate device, and means for causing the latter and its said actuating means to be intermittently brought into and out of operative relation relatively to each other, for the purpose set Lt'orth.

l0. 1n an automatic Weighing-machine, the combination With load-supplying means, of a cut-off device, a scale-beam, an actuator for controlling' the opening and closing movements of said cut-off device, an intermediate device for effecting the opening movement oi said actuator, means controlled by said scalebeam for effecting said closing movement, and a continuously-rotatable cam-wheel for actuating said intermediate device.

11. In an automatic Weighing-machine, the combination with load-supplying means, ot' a cut-off device, a scale-beam, an actuator l'or controlling the opening' and closing movements ot' said cut-oit' device, an intermediate device for effecting the opening movement ol said actuator, means controlled by said scalebeam for eii'ecting said closing movement, a continuously-rotatable cam-Wheel for actuating said intermediate device, and a spring normally tending to force said intermediate device into the path of said cam-wheel.

l2. ln an automatic Weighing-maehine, the combination with load-supplying means, oi a cut-ofi' device, a scale-beam, an actuator for controlling the opening and closing Inovements oi' the said cut-olil device, an intermediate device for ciiecting the opening movement of said device, means controlled by said scale-beam for eiecting said closing movement, a continuously-operable actuator vfor said intermediate device, and means Alor intermittently movino the latter to and from a position to be acted upon by said actuator.

In testimony whereot'l have signed my name to this speciiication, in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses, this 7th dayof April, 1902.

GEORGE J. HICKS.

lVitnesses:

CuAs. F. DANE, M. L. Foiians'r.

IDO 

